The International Higher Education Support Program promotes the advancement of higher education within the humanities and social sciences by providing assistance to a network of institutions ranging from undergraduate universities to doctoral programs and centers for advanced study. The program works closely with Central European University, OSI Scholarship Programs, and Soros foundations to develop a variety of programs for students, academics, and education professionals at higher education institutions across Central, Eastern, and South Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and Mongolia. The program has also started to expand beyond its traditional regions of activity by developing initiatives in Africa and Nepal.

The program provides financial and technical assistance to both institutions and individuals. Institutional support focuses on curriculum and faculty development, improving methods for teaching and learning, and creating institutional networks that can advance higher education reforms. The program supports individuals through a number of regional programs that build the skills and capacity of academics working in the social sciences and humanities.

In addition to finding new partners at universities in Georgia, Kosovo, Serbia, and Ukraine, the program recently began an initiative in Africa that will assist universities and faculty members in research and policy development to help the continent adapt to climate change.